Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
“That’s a good picture, you should use it for your profile! But put a filter on it.” As an 18-year-old in 2015, I can say with confidence that we are far more self-aware than our predecessors.
This self-awareness may look like vanity on a superficial level, since we take countless selfies before finding ‘the one’, but it’s all essential in our world.
In today’s world, where anyone can click a few buttons and get a neat profile on you, it’s important to maintain a certain image.
We sacrifice a certain amount of spontaneity; we can’t take pictures without considering who might be privy to them; we must always be aware of our public perception. However, this does mean that we are mature beyond our years, since we have learned how to play the game.
If 500 people can see exactly what you’re posting, you’d better post something worthwhile. You spell-check that status, checking for logical inaccuracies and grammatical errors. You fix that selfie, because nobody wants to see those bags under your eyes.
You could argue that we’re losing out on being immature and carefree. But in 2015, you need to play the game.
